2026/2027 Overseas Scholarship Scheme: PTDF shortlists 5,885 out of 38,000 applicants
By Onu Okorie
The Deputy General Manager, Education and Training at Petroleum Training Development Fund PTDF, Dr. Beldo Mustafa has disclosed that the 2026/2027 postgraduate Overseas Scholarship Scheme attracted over 38,000 applications received nationwide, while only 5,885 candidates were shortlisted for the interview stage based on stringent selection criteria.
He stated this on Tuesday at the PTDF head office in Abuja while addressing the media about the Programme.
According to him, “we are here to commence the interview process. “We have just finished briefing the panelists, and the interviews have started as scheduled.” Some of the candidates who spoke to journalists on the sideline during the interview process expressed appreciation to the PTDF for the privilege of being invited to the interview. They said that their invitation was entirely based on merits. “We thank God and the management of PTDF for considering us, it was actually by the grace of God that I found myself here, I don’t actually know any body, infact I applied online so I believe that everything is done entirely on merit. I am hopeful that I will eventually clinch the spot at the end of the day”
Providing further details on the interview arrangement, Dr Mustafa stressed that the six centres were carefully selected to ensure seemless interview nationwide. “We have six centres across the geopolitical zones. In the North-East, we have Bauchi; South-East, Enugu; North-West, Kaduna; North-Central, Abuja; South-South, Rivers; and South-West, Oyo,” he stated.
He however, stressed that candidates are not restricted to their zones of origin when choosing interview venues.
According to him, “anyone can actually do the interview at any zone that would be convenient for the person. You could be from the South-East and come to the North to do it and vice versa.”
On the issue of fairness and inclusivity, he assured that the selection process strictly adheres to the federal character principle to ensure equitable representation across all states.
“The final selection is based on federal character. For instance, if we are given three MSc slots per state, each state will have three successful candidates. However, oil-producing states may receive additional slots,” he stated. He further revealed that the Federal Character Commission is actively monitoring the process to ensure transparency and fairness. “The Commission sends its officials to monitor the exercise and ensure that the process is credible and that every candidate is treated fairly,” he said.
Addressing concerns over the significant gap between the number of applicants and shortlisted candidates, Dr. Mustafa noted that only those who met clearly defined parameters were invited.
“We have our criteria and parameters. You must meet those requirements before being shortlisted. For instance, we cannot invite everyone if we are selecting a fixed number per state,” he explained.
He outlined some of the criteria to include academic qualifications such as First Class, Second Class Upper (2:1), and in some cases Second Class Lower (2:2), alongside relevant work experience.
“Even O’Level results are graded. If you have distinctions in certain subjects, you earn higher marks. It is the total score that determines whether you are shortlisted,” he added.
On the number of eventual beneficiaries, the PTDF official said it would depend largely on available funding. “I cannot give a specific number at this stage. The final figure will be determined by management based on the budgetary provisions,” he said.
Dr. Mustafa also clarified that while the scholarship primarily focuses on petroleum-related studies, the scheme accommodates relevant supporting disciplines.
According to him, PTDF maintains international partnerships with countries including Germany, France, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom, where successful candidates will undertake their studies.
“We focus mainly on petroleum studies, but we also have supporting programmes such as management and petroleum law. All these are relevant to the sector,” he noted.
The PTDF selection interviews for shortlisted candidates under its 2026/2027 Overseas Scholarship Scheme was scheduled to run from April 7 to April 17, 2026, across six centres nationwide.
The interviews, which are being conducted simultaneously across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, are taking place in Abuja North-Central, Bauchi North-East, Kaduna North-West, Rivers South-South, Enugu South-East, and Oyo South-West.
The PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme remains one of Nigeria’s flagship human capacity development initiatives in the oil and gas sector, aimed at building a highly skilled workforce to drive the nation’s energy industry.
